I was about to start a painting of The Thunder Child scene from the good book, and thought I'd better get it right, or the lads (thats you lot) would never forgive me. <_< <br /><br />The Thunder Child is described as a torpedo-ram so I checked out torpedo-rams on the Web and oh dear!!! torpedo-rams are not very impressive. :huh: <br /><br />So should I go for an unimpressive torpedo-ram or should i go for a Battle Cruiser like on the Jeff Wayne album cover :huh:

In the early 20th century (I'm not sure of the exact year) the Royal Navy commissioned the building of HMS Dreadnought, a battleship larger - and with more firepower and armourplating - than anything that had previously been set afloat. The German navy responded by building 'dreadnoughts' of their own, and the British kept pace, both countries constructing bigger and more powerful ships. This 'dreadnought' competition continued until the outbreak of the First World War, and was similar to the nuclear arms race between America and the USSR during the Cold War.<br /> <br />I think a dreadnought would be visually pleasing in your proposed picture, although strictly speaking such ships weren't built until after the publication of WOTW.

There is a very good site "QUEEN VICTORIA`S NAVY"<br />' <a href='http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/' target='_blank'>http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/</a> with excellent candidates HMS DREADNOUGHT <a href='http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/drea.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/drea.jpg</a> is one of them and built around the right period 1877-1887 there's even one called HMS MARS. which sounds appropriate <br /><br />It's just that the torpedo craft are so small. <a href='http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/hunt.jpg' target='_blank'>http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7155/hunt.jpg</a>

I was about to start a painting of The Thunder Child scene from the good book, and thought I'd better get it right, or the lads (thats you lot) would never forgive me. The Thunder Child is described as a torpedo-ram so I checked out torpedo-rams on the Web and oh dear!!! torpedo-rams are not very impressive. So should I go for an unimpressive torpedo-ram or should i go for a Battle Cruiser like on the Jeff Wayne album cover

You may have to wait a little while I'm affraid, I am trying to animate my design of a fighting machine. It's proving harder than I thougt it would, so far I have a 24 frame, looped scene of just one leg walking and it's taken me half a week :blush:<br /><br />But no fear I will do the Thunder Child pic'

Preliminary sketches only so far, sorry, too much on my plate at the moment.<br />still trying to work out the best angles, sunset in the back ground naturally. which means we're looking west, inland, up the Thames. but that will put the little steamer behind me out of picture. it sounds like nit-picking but I want to get it right.

For some very strange reason(buggered if i know)i have this image in my mind of Peter Kay playing the part of the Captain of the Thunderchild in Pendragons film.I don't mean him doing it in a jokey way but him playing it dead-pan like with a very thick Lancashire accent.(just leant back in my computer chair while i read what i have just written.......mmmmmmm!...diagnosis.......ha ha ha)

I don't know I think this ship HMS Polyphemus, 1881, Torpedo Ram<br />looks the part quite nicely<br />-----<br /><br />Pardon my interjecting. (just a WOTW fan browsing for news, found your forum)<br /><br />You might consider HMS Hotspur too. Launched in 1871 as an "ironclad ram", but refitted in the 1880s with a two-gun turret and torpedo equipment, she could be a bit of a model for Wells' Thunderchild. Just the use of the term "ironclad" harkens to the transition-era thinking when some warships were still wood (not like in the dreadnought era) <br /><br />This seems to fit Wells' ill-equipped mankind scenario -- more aged warrior is all the refugees have immediately at hand to defend them.<br /><br />A couple of Wells' descriptions suggest more than a small torpedo boat. A 'ram' was usually larger (kind of had to be to be at all effective), which fits with Wells saying she had two funnels and was a 'huge iron hulk' compared to the steamer. Mention of multiple guns firing sounds larger than the one-small-gunned torpedo boats of the day. Doesn't sound like a little boat.<br /><br />Granted, Hotspur has only one funnel, but with a bit of imagination...<br /><br />-- cheers<br /><br /><a href='http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_hotspur.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_hotspur.htm</a>

I won't be painting any one ship, but an amalgamation of several ships. I'm sure the HMS Hotspur will be in there somewhere. <br />[right][snapback]1038[/snapback][/right]<br />

<br /><br />Yeah, I think you'd have to amalgamate. Polyphemus has the "low in the water" quality Wells cites, but is a bit puny to fit the "huge iron hulk" part. Hotspur fits the hulky part, but not the lowness. Neither seem to have enough guns to match the description.<br /><br /> As well, it seems (to me, anyhow) that the 'ram' bow would be a key visual feature. That's such a distinctive late-1800s feature, and really marks a ship as part of the late Victorian era.<br /><br />I'll be interested to see your art. (all this has ME sketching bits on scraps of paper now too) <br /> <br /><br />-- cheers

As well, it seems (to me, anyhow) that the 'ram' bow would be a key visual feature. That's such a distinctive late-1800s feature, and really marks a ship as part of the late Victorian era.

That may not be possible, in the scene i'm planning, the heat-rays just struck the bow and the Thunder Child is wreathed in steam, the magazine has just blown up and the Black Smoke is boiling all around. this should make my job even easier

There is some of my art work on this excellent site go to the, HOME PAGE, FAN FICTION, PETER FUSSEY GALLERY

You are an incredible painter, very dynamic, great perspective and compesition. Very unusaul Fighting Machines. I've never seen any quite like them. They are so alien. Can't wait to see Thunderchild scene. And I hope you do a handling machine one day, and a Martian feeding, and route of London.

I discussed this at enormous length with others on another WotW forum. These are the threads, for what itâ€™s worth:<br /><br /><a href='http://robk.proboards13.com/index.cgi?board=pendragon&action=display&num=1106166296' target='_blank'>Thunder Child thread 1</a><br /><a href='http://robk.proboards13.com/index.cgi?board=book&action=display&num=1084121997' target='_blank'>Thunder Child thread 2</a><br /><br />Basically, â€˜Thunder Childâ€™ is completely fictional, and bears no resemblance to any one warship of the RN in 1897 (or 1901, 1903, or any other year claimed for WotWâ€™s setting).<br /><br />I wonâ€™t get bogged down in reiterating points Iâ€™ve made elsewhere (see the threads for those), though I will quote myself here as there are some general points about Wells and naval matters:<br /><br />

Quote:

The Thunder Child is clearly meant to be an improved version of Polyphemus - she carries heavier guns and has twin funnels. I imagine Wells felt her to still be sufficiently glamorous to employ her in some form, though her day was long past. To be honest, I always felt Wells to be fairly weak on points of naval tactics and technology. In â€˜The War in the Airâ€™ of 1907, he still refers to battleships as 'ironclads', even though, by then, HMS Dreadnought was in service!...So I would take his description, or at least terminology, for the Thunder Child with a pinch of salt.

<br /><br />I think Peter's approach of making 'Thunder Child' an amalgamation of more than one ship is the best approach.

There is some of my art work on this excellent site <br /><br />go to the, HOME PAGE, FAN FICTION, PETER FUSSEY GALLERY

Quality art Mr Crow. I've always associated the Tripods with Jeff Wayne's version but yours are much more martian like. And true to the text, I see a 'rolling gait'. Nice one. Looking forward to Thunderchild......

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